[myulchi: dried anchovy, Yuksoo: broth]

Myulchi (멸치, dried anchovy) broth is the most frequently used broth in Korean cooking. It is used in soups, stews and even in variety of banchans (반찬, small side dishes). Myulchi broth is similar to chicken broth in Korean cooking.So, I thought it may be useful to cover the basics of making this broth. Some people replace this broth with water to simplify the cooking process, but it does make a huge difference in taste. Just make this broth in bulk ahead of time when you have a moment and store in the refrigerator or freezer… you will be one step closer to being a guru of Korean cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. or about 15 large myulchi (dried anchovies)
• 4 cups of water
• 1 piece of dashima (also called konbu, dried kelp), about 2 x 2 inches
  • You can also add some dried shrimp and/or 1 or 2 dried shiitake mushrooms to the broth

1. Heat an empty medium size pot on low heat.
2. While the pot is heating, take off the dried anchovies’ guts (it is a simple procedure although it sounds gruesome). Most commonly, people take off the heads as well, but recently I have been reading that keeping the fish heads help enhances the broth’s taste. The black parts on the right side of the picture below are the anchovy guts.
3. Place the dried anchovies in an empty pot for about a minute, shaking the pot a couple times so they do not burn. This is to get rid of any potential fishiness of the stock. (This step can be skipped if you are pressed for time by simply adding cold water in a pot with the anchovies and boil.)
4. Pour cold water into the pot and raise the heat to high. Place the kelp in. Do not cover the pot with a lid (this also helps to get rid of possible fishiness of the stock).
5. When the water starts boiling, take out the kelp.
6. Boil the stock for another 10 minutes.
7. After the fish stock has brewed, take out all the anchovies.